The present invention relates to a dispenser of the type comprising a body within which a pusher is movable, declutchable drive means for driving said pusher in axial displacement so as to dispense a substance, and return means for returning the pusher into an initial position when said drive means are declutched.
Such a dispenser is described in international application WO 98/09548.
An object of the invention is to improve a dispenser of that type.
In the dispenser of the invention the return means include a resilient member working in traction.
Advantageously, the resilient member is housed at least in part inside the pusher.
By means of the invention, the axial size of the dispenser can be reduced compared with that of the dispenser described in international application WO 98/09548, which makes use of a helical spring working in compression.
Advantageously, the resilient member is organized in such a manner as to damp the return movement of the pusher into its initial position.
This makes it possible for the structure of the dispenser to be simplified compared with that described in application WO 98/09548.
Preferably, the resilient member is fixed at one end to the end wall of the dispenser body and at its other end to the pusher.
In a particular embodiment, the pusher includes a notched or threaded rod extended at one end by a cylindrical portion of greater diameter than the rod, the resilient member being housed for the most part inside said cylindrical portion when the pusher is in its initial position.
In another particular embodiment, the pusher comprises a notched or threaded hollow rod within which the major portion of the resilient member is housed when the pusher is in its initial position.
In a particular embodiment, the pusher includes at least one portion of non-circularly-symmetrical section enabling it to be prevented from rotating and serving to guide it in a portion of the body of the dispenser.
In a particular embodiment, the body of the dispenser has first and second portions capable of rotating relative to each other. The pusher has a thread and is mounted with the ability to slide in the first portion of the body but without the ability to rotate relative to said first portion. The dispenser has drive means secured to the second portion of the body, said drive means comprising at least one drive member movable between a driving position in which it engages the thread of the pusher so that relative rotation between the two portions of the body causes the pusher to move axially, and a declutched position in which it ceases to be engaged with the thread of the pusher and enables the pusher to return to its initial position under the return action of the resilient member.
Advantageously, the two portions of the body are separable and are shaped so as to be engageable one in the other, the drive member being organized in such a manner that inserting one of the portions in the other portion causes the drive member to be displaced from its declutched position towards its drive position, and vice versa when said portions are separated.
Advantageously, the drive member is constituted by at least one resilient tab shaped to present a certain amount of resilience in the axial direction when it is engaged with the pusher, thereby enabling the pusher firstly to return slightly towards its initial position in the event of the user exerting axial thrust on the pusher while applying the substance, and secondly allowing the pusher to escape and return to its initial position or to a position closer to its initial position if said thrust exceeds a predetermined force.
Advantageously, the second portion of the body has a sliding element such as a piston or a cup slidably mounted in an axial passage of said second portion, the sliding element being releasably connected to the pusher by link means enabling the sliding element to be separated from the pusher when the first and second portions of the body are separated from each other.
In a particular embodiment, the link means comprise a jaw formed on one of the pusher and the sliding element, and a head formed on the other of the pusher and the sliding element, said jaw being shaped to clamp onto said head when the sliding element is engaged beyond a predetermined stroke inside said axial passage.
Advantageously, said resilient member is constituted by a coil spring.
The invention also provides a dual dispenser, comprising two dispensers as defined above, disposed in opposite directions.
This dual dispenser can be of axial size that is compatible with it being used as a makeup accessory, in particular because of the fact that each pusher is associated with a resilient member working in traction, thereby enabling it to be made more compact.